"Over the past three years, several Latin American countries have witnessed the arrival of the Orb, a futuristic-looking spherical device used to read irises and capture biometric data. This striking technology, developed by World Foundation and created by Sam Altman, a leading figure in artificial intelligence and CEO of OpenAI, along with its operational partner, Tools for Humanity, has been installed in shopping malls, gas stations, and other locations in Colombia, Chile, and Brazil."
"They arrive in countries through local logistics operators. They hire individuals or companies based in the country, hand them the Orb and give them very general instructions on what to do: ask people to register, find a well-lit space. There is no adequate training on key issues such as consent. They are not trained on how to ensure that the person registering is of legal age something that is especially sensitive, because minors are registered, as happened in Chile."
Orb devices scan irises to collect biometric data and have been installed in malls, gas stations, and other public locations in Colombia, Chile, and Brazil. Thousands exchanged personal biometric information for cryptocurrencies or tokens, generating massive biometric databases. The technology was developed by World Foundation, created by Sam Altman, and operated with Tools for Humanity. Regulatory authorities in Chile, Brazil, and Colombia issued decisions that clash with the business model; Colombia's Superintendency of Industry and Commerce ordered immediate closure of operations at the end of 2025. Local operators deploy the devices with minimal training, lacking proper consent procedures and age verification, resulting in minors being registered and prompting concerns about who controls identity-proof data and under what safeguards.
Read at english.elpais.com
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